Posts tagged with "Beekman Tower":

Green Boom.Blair Kamin takes a look at the sustainability of two billowing icons in Chicago and New York. Studio Gang's Aqua Tower is going for LEED certification while Frank Gehry's New York tower will not seek the USGBC's approval but claims to be green nonetheless. Kamin notes the importance of such moves, saying of Gehry: "What he, in particular, does--or doesn't do--can have enormous influence, not simply on architects but on developers."
Trolley Boom.NPR has a piece on the explosion of streetcars across the country with planned or completed systems in over a dozen cities.
Bike Boom. Cycling advocate Elly Blue discusses a new study on Grist stating that bikes deserve their own infrastructure independent from autos. And not just a striped bike lane, Blue notes, but separated lanes called "cycle tracks" like one installed along Brooklyn's Prospect Park West.
Soane Boom.The Independent reports on a planned renovation to the Sir John Soane Museum in London, that architect's treasure trove of antiquities and architectural memorabilia from across the world. Plans include opening up a new floor that hasn't been open to the public since Soane died in 1837.

We're not sure where the rumor started—most likely Curbed—but for a while now, it's been going around that the southern side of Frank Gehry's Beekman Tower isn't faceted because it got smoothed out during a value-engineering process in 2009 that saved the project after it nearly stalled out (at half its planned height no less). The latest iteration is a lament on ArchDaily. We called Gehry's people, many of whom were out of the office, but when they finally got back to us, the answer was a definitive "Nope." This baby's backside was always flat. We asked why but were told that this is "a question for Frank, only Frank," who happens to be on vacation with his family in South Africa. Which can only mean one thing. World Cup. Who knew we had such a soccer fan in our midst? Maybe he's checking out all those cool stadiums? Anyway, our guess is it has something to do with zoning envelopes. And now, consider the record corrected. For the second time.

The Times' dogged development reporter Charles Bagli had a big scoop yesterday on Christian de Portzamparc's new tower, Carnegie 57, and what it portends for a construction recovery. That said, we couldn't help but notice a minor error in the article's lede: "Gary Barnett, one of New York City’s most prolific developers, is about to start construction of a $1.3 billion skyscraper on 57th Street that will overtake Trump World Tower as the tallest residential building in the city." The only problem is, Trump World Tower was already surpassed by Frank Gehry's Beekman Tower, which topped out in November. That shimmering, Bernini-swaddled building rises to 867 feet, six feet higher than Costas Kondylis' Death-Star-on-Hudson. We wouldn't have mentioned this except that the errant factoid has been pickedupallovertheplace.
Granted, Bagli could have meant completed residential buildings, but it also leaves out the issue of other prospective projects like Hines' MoMA Tower by Jean Nouvel, which, even at its haircut height of 1,050 feet, is still taller than Barnett's 1,005-foot tower. Just saying. (Keep in mind that while we were busy writing this frivolous blog post, Bagli was off blowing the lid on another major story, this time that plans to move Madison Square Garden have been revived.)

Yesterday's high winds and rain did more than make life miserable for AN staff members with holes in their shoes. They also brought a stop work order down on Forest City Ratner's Beekman Tower. According to the DOB's complaint, metal and plywood fell from the 72-story Frank Gehry-designed structure in an approximately 2 1/2-block radius around City Hall Park. No injuries were reported, though a metal turnbuckle did collide with a parked car and emergency services shut down streets. These events followed the DOB's issuance of a high wind advisory on Sunday. In a press conference on Monday afternoon, Building Commissioner Robert LiMandri sternly reminded contractors that such advisories must be heeded. The GC at the Beekman Tower is Kreisler Borg Florman.

Yesterday, Bruce Ratner and Frank Gehry got together down on Beekman Street to celebrate the topping out of the Santa Monica architect's one Ratner project that did get off the ground. The inimitable Eliot Brown stopped by to snap some pictures and discuss the condo tower with Gehry—Brown's sorta right about that unveiling, as we were there, so it kinda happened, making us one of "those magazines"—and their discussion reminded us of two interesting facts.
First, the 76-story jobber is twice as tall as anything Gehry's ever done, and may yet ever do, given the economy and certain other realities. (Gehry did quip, after all, that the building was achieved with "No Viagra!") And it is now officially the tallest residential building in the city, taller even, yes, than the Death Star. Our favorite fact, though, is that they apparently had a specially designed (read: spray painted) silver concrete bucket to do the honors of pouring the last batch.
And for something more serious, the salmon-colored site also has a look at a new study out by NYU's Furman real estate center that finds, lamentably but perhaps unsurprisingly—especially if you've read this gem—that New York's minority residents were primarily the target of sub-prime (some call it predatory) lending and eight-times as likely as a white New Yorker to get a bad loan.